


The End is Just the Beginning

by FeBee



Series: Challenge Responses [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A little bit of Ginny bashing, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, But Not Much, Fluff, Ginny is not happy, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Harry's not happy with Dumbledore, M/M, Neville has the patience of a God, Not Beta Read, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Pre-Slash, Was a one shot but turned into a more shot, What can I say the prompt challenge is working
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-09 02:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20987153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeBee/pseuds/FeBee
Summary: All the wizarding world knows about soul mates. Well accept for Muggleborns......Well and Harry.Trick or Treat challenge response- Lupin 14- A whole new world





	1. Chapter 1

Everyone in the wizarding world knew about soul mates.

1 month after your seventeenth birthday you would begin to feel ‘the pull’. A tension that indicated the location of your soul mate. It was theorised that it started at that time so that the body had time to adjust to the final stages of magical development that occurred when the magically inclined came of age.

The strength of the pull was directly proportional to the distance they were away from you. This meant that when soul mates who had been separated by a continent where placed in the same room the force could literally pull them to each others side. Conversely soul mates who had been in the same county and one had left to travel the world the sensation decreased into imperceptbility.

Sadly it wasn’t spoken about in polite society (Pureblood) as it seemed uncouth to mention the person who would literally complete your soul when you were inevitable betrothed to someone else. Therefore, the muggleborns were sadly unaware unless they were soul mates with a partner who was happy to bond with a muggleborn and willing to explain it to them.

Harry had not even noticed the vague ache in his chest when it started. By one month after his seventeenth birthday he, Ron and Hermione were holed up in Grimmauld place having just escaped from Death Eaters at Bill and Fleur’s wedding and then Tottenham Court road. In the following months when they were on the run, they were hungry, sore and tired the whole time and each pain indistinguishable from the rest. It wasn’t until they reached the Hogshead that he noticed.

_A tiny white dot appeared at the end of the tunnel, and now Ariana was walking back towards them, growing bigger and bigger as she came. But there was someone else with her now, someone taller then she was, who was limping along looking excited._

_Then the whole thing swung forwards on the walk like a little door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. And out of it, his hair overgrown, his face cut, his robes ripped clambered the real Neville Longbottom, who gave a roar of delight, leapt down from the mantelpiece and yelled, “I knew you’d come! I knew it Harry!”_

Harry’s hand lifted from his side reaching out to Neville in an unconscious act, until with a shake f his head he pulled it in to his chest and rubbed at the tight feeling in his sternum that made it hard to breathe. Nevilles eyes caught his and the taller boy smiled as he stepped forward to embrace his friend. With a deep breath and a sigh Neville withdrew, knowing now was not the time. There was still a dark lord to be defeated.

Voldemort had called him out. After seeing Snape’s memories he now knew what had to be done. Like a lamb to the slaughter. If he had any mirth left in him he would have laughed bitterly. Not even worth being raised in a loving home, worth less than an animal, that’s all he had ever been to Dumbledore.

_He moved down the steps and out into the darkness. _That strange feeling drew him on. He could have walked the other way to the forest, but some…thing, made him come this way. _Neville was bending over another body._

Without looking up he spoke, ‘_Blimey, Harry, you nearly gave me heart failure!’_

Harry wanted nothing more than to step back into the warmth of Neville’s arms, and even took a half step in the older boys direction, before pushing the thought aside. What was it Dumbledore said? _“It doesn’t do to dwell on dreams Harry.”_And wasn’t that ironic now, that there was no living left to be done. It didn’t take a moment to ask Neville for his help killing Nagini and then to turn back to the forest, leaving those eyes burning holes in the back of his cloak.

_‘Avada Kedavra’_

_‘Expelliarmus’_

_Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeblenand shrunken, the white hands empty, the snake-like face vacant and unknowing._

_Voldemort was dead. Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy’s shell._

The battle was over, the war was won. Why then did Harry feel so………dead? It wasn’t him that had died. Well he had but he got better. He rubbed his sternum again and leaned against the castle wall as he looked into the Great Hall. Thankfully, for the moment no one was paying him any attention, he glanced through the castle entrance into the odd morning light. The one of the wooden doors had been blown to pieces and the other had been ripped off by one of the giants at some point in the battle and was now floating on the lake like an oddly shaped raft. With a groan he hoisted himself off the wall and walked down the steps and out of the castle.

A half demolished tree trunk lay on its side across the lawn just south of where Hagrid’s hut used to be. He clambered up onto it, enjoying the piece and watching the sun rise. The ache in his chest grew the longer he sat there and soon eclipsed all other feeling. Perhaps he should go and see Madam Pomphrey. His hand subconsciously raised to rub his chest. Maybe it was indigestion.

“Harry,” his name was called softly, he assumed they had intended not to startle him.

“Nev?” Ah that ache, surely it was too strong to be reflux, maybe he had been hit with a curse and hadn’t noticed.

“Yeah. You ok?” the not so subtle tone of concern made him turn to the speaker. Harry winced and rubbed his chest again.

“Yeah,” the breath caught in his chest. He wished whatever giant was sitting there would move so he could breath. “I…”

“Harry, be honest with me.” When did Neville learn to speak with that tone of command?

“I…. It hurts Nev,” Harry gave in. “Right here.”

He slammed his hand against his sternum, and lifted it to repeat the action. Neville’s fingers wrapped around his wrist and prevented him from doing so.

The world stopped.

A fresh wind started in the forest.

It blew across the lake and over the lawn ruffling the messy nest of dark hair.

The pressure lifted.

He could breathe.

“What?” Harry turned his confused gaze to Neville.

“Later,” Neville reassured, “I’ll tell you later.” The taller boy drew Harry to his chest and held him close. “For now, just breath Harry. He’s gone, the war is over.”

Harry melted into the embrace.

“And it’s a whole new world.


	2. The Headmasters Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry takes a minute to head to the Headmasters office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trick or Treat Challenge- McGonagalls- 10 Soulmate au

They had barely had ten minutes peace before Hermione came to find Harry and took him away, to be fawned over by the awaiting crowd. ‘They just want to see you are ok,’ she said. ‘They need the reassurance’, she said. ‘After everything you owe it to them’, she said. And each time ‘she said’ the boy broke just a little more inside. Not one of them noticed.

Well that wasn’t strictly true. The one who would have noticed the most had been pushed to the side. When he approached the saviour, he was deftly deflected away by this red-haired boy or that no-longer-so-bushy haired girl. Two blondes noticed as well. One was seated at the tables contemplating his own troubles and so had barely a thought to spare. But the other, with silvery eyes and a fae like demeanour knew and pursed her lips.

_After a while, exhausted and drained, Harry found himself sitting on a bench near Luna, _wondering where Neville had disappeared off to. No doubt he was lending a hand behind the scenes, probably sorting out the greenhouses, or rescuing some plant that had been used in the castles defence, maybe a Venomous Tentacula or Devil’s snare.

For the moment they were undisturbed but before they could be noticed Luna spoke, _“I’d want some peace and quiet, if it were me,” she said._

_“I’d love some,” Harry replied._

_“I’ll distract them all,” she said. “Use your Cloak.”_

_And before he could say a word she had cried, “Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!” and pointed out of the window. Everyone who heard looked around, and Harry slid the Cloak up over himself, and got to his feet._

_Now he could move through the Hall without interference. He spotted Ginny two tables away _but felt no urge to approach and disturb her mourning. Gone was the feeling of the monster in his belly when he saw her leaning her head against Dean’s shoulder. Ron and Hermione were wrapped in an embrace standing by the head of the stretcher that held Fred. Harry wiped roughly at the tears that prickled his eyes, there would be time to grieve later. He passed by Tonks and Remus and wondered who would tell Andromeda. Oh, didn’t that make his heart shudder at the thought of the losses suffered by Andromeda Tonks. Left to carry on all alone, looking after her Grandson, his Godson Teddy. His. Godson!And in that moment, he swore to himself that there would be no rash decisions keeping him from knowing the child. He would be as involved as Andromeda allowed. There would be no cupboards for Teddy!

Everywhere he looked he saw families, hugging, and rejoicing in being reunited. And yet he was apart from them. Alone.

Harry reached the great staircase, where he saw Neville moving fallen bricks to the side, the sword of Gryffindor shoved roughly through his belt. From under his cloak he reached out a hand and placed it gently on Nev’s shoulder giving a firm squeeze before dropping his arm.Neville looked around for a moment, not seeing anyone near, he then quirked his lips in a half smile and tapped the centre of his chest.

“It’s alright Harry, I’ll find you later. Take as much time as you need,” and with a nod he turned back to his labour.

_Great chunks were missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade was gone, and rubble and bloodstains occurred every few steps as he climbed._

_Since last he had seen it, the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster’s study had been knocked aside, it stood lopsided, looking a little punch-drunk, and Harry wondered whether it would be able to distinguish passwords anymore._

_“Can I go up?” he asked the gargoyle._

_“Feel free,” groaned the statue._

Harry paused to levitate the stone guardian into a more upright position so that it wasn’t so precariously balanced. He heard it thank him as he stepped onto the now stationary spiral staircase.

_Harry pushed open the door at the top._

_He had one, brief glimpse of the stone Pensieve on the desk where he had left it, and then an ear-splitting noise made him cry out, thinking of curses and returning Death Eaters and the rebirth of Voldemort -_

_But it was applause. _The long dead Headmasters honoured him with their thanks, calling out their gratitude from their places around the wall. Harry looked up to the portrait immediately behind the desk, in it sat Albus Dumbledore at his desk, smiling down on Harry like some mysterious benefactor.

Harry ignored him for a moment and turned to the others, “Your thanks are appreciated. It’s nice to be recognised for an act I have done and not for the acts of my parents.” Dumbledore started to speak but Harry ignored him in favour of turning to Phineus Nigellus.

“Headmaster Black, our house has fallen far in the last few years, with the Government maligning our Heir and Lord, and imprisoning him without trial. However, you should be pleased to know that there is an emerging Heir who will be returned to the fold. Andromeda Tonks has given both her husband and her daughter to this war,” surprisingly Phineus gasped in shock at the news, “and is alone, so I will invite her to be a Black once more.”

“Off course that rascal of a boy made you his Heir,” the Headmaster tried to sound gruff, but tears clogged his voice and made it break.

Harry held up his hand, “there is more. Nymphadora bore a son to Remus Lupin. Edward Remus Lupin and he already displays the Black trait.If Andromeda agrees I shall name him my Heir.”

Phineus Black, huffed but nodded. Harry finally turned back to Albus Dumbledore.

“I am not pleased with you,” Harry stated flatly. Then he lifted his right hand and held his forefinger and thumb about an inch apart, “In fact, I would say I am this far from hating you. You may once have been a great man but your secrets, half-truths and lies, nearly cost us everything. There is no possible reason that you could not have included someone like Bill Weasley, a known curse breaker and expert in dark artefacts, in the hunt for the Horcruxes. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. I think your biggest crime though is ensuring I was raised the way I was. Unwanted, unloved and ignorant. Ignorant of the magical world and my heritage. Now at nearly eighteen I have to try and learn everything I should have grown up knowing.”

“What is it you wish to know Harry?” Albus asked quietly.

“Did you know about the frying pan, the threats, the hand-me-downs, the cupboard and the starvation?”

Albus shook his head but his face told the truth.

“What purpose did ensuring I was treated that way serve? What excuse have you got for watching a small boy be neglected and abused?”

“I worried you would grow like your father, and then at the end you would not……”

“Did you ever stop to think,” Harry was becoming angry now that it had been confirmed, “That I might have been like my Mother. My kind, gentle Mother who would do anything to help anyone?”

Albus looked ashamed, “I did what I….”

Harry scoffed, “Yeah! You did what you thought was right.In my world, and yes, I claim the muggle world as my own,” more than one portrait gasped, “what you have done is illegal. You would be jailed for being complicit in the abuse of a child.” Harry paused to breathe and calm himself, the man was dead after all, the portrait merely a reflection of who he had been in life and not the man himself. So being angry served no purpose.“And now I am left here at seventeen, with a gaping hole in my chest and no idea what it means, because you thought that I didn’t deserve the right to be treated like a human being. Instead of raising me to have a good character, instead of educating me to know right from wrong, you raised me like livestock, only fit for slaughter!” Tears leaked out the sides of his eyes, Albus was stunned silent.

Surprisingly it was the very deaf Dexter Fortescue with his ear trumpet that picked up on something that the others had all missed during Harry’s rant.

“Boy!” he creaked.

Harry turned sharply but lost the flicker of rage when he saw who had spoken, “With all due respect Headmaster, please don’t call me that. That is what _they _called me!”

He did not have to explain who. Headmaster Fortescue nodded readily, “My apologies Mr Potter, I would not have used it if I had known. Now, you said you have a hole in your chest?”

His encouraging smile, drew out Harry’s words, “Yes for a while now. Right here. In retrospect I think it has been present since we stayed in Grimmauld place at the end of last Summer. Though with all the injuries I have had it is a little difficult to be sure.” He rubbed at his sternum again.

“Feels like it’s pulling you somewhere doesn’t it?” the old man asked slyly.

“No…..” Harry stopped to think in the middle of answering. He took a breath, and allowed the feeling to wash over him. Well now, that was odd.“Um wow,……yes, now that you mention it it does. It’s pulling me towards the door. It’s just I think I have been fighting it, whatever it is for so long. You know with the war and everything, that I haven’t had the chance to just sit and ‘feel’ it. So, I never noticed that before.”

“Mmhmmm, possibly it wasn’t as strong before either,” Dexter agreed. He continued in a kind voice, “Harry in the Wizarding world there are a small number of people who are blessed by magic.”

“Go on,” Harry said cautiously. The last thing he wanted was another expectation placed on his shoulders. “A month after their seventeenth birthday, when their magical core has settled. They start to feel the pull.This pull will draw them to the person that magic has created just for them. It is an indicator of the proximity of this person. A person who will see them for who they are, not what they have done, or how much money they have or any of that nonsense. It draws them to their soulmate.”

“Like the other half of their soul?”

“No, it is more like their souls are compatible. They will be the one person who will support them no matter what and love them unconditionally, if they both so choose.” The Headmaster by now had devolved into his lecturing mode. “In my day there were betrothals all over the place so, often people with soulmates were actually engaged to someone else. Which is quite sad when you think about it but Magic understands this and allows them to have whatever relationship they choose. Usually they ended up being confidents. You have given so much to magic, it seems right that she should give something back to you.”

“So, I don’t _have_ to marry this person?” Harry asked.

“No there is no obligation at all, but it is something worth thinking about. Not everyone is lucky enough to find someone who matches them so completely?”

Harry moved to stare out the Headmasters window, watching the lights that people carried as they made their way home from Hogwarts.And for the first time in a long time he turned his thoughts to the future.


	3. For the Want of Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions run high in the Great Hall after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Ron and Hermione had come to find Harry in the Headmaster’s Office and he wondered vaguely if they were genuinely worried or if they thought he was so incompetent that they needed to keep an eye on him all the time. Maybe it was both, he thought acknowledging his predisposition for stumbling upon trouble. He wanted nothing more than a bed to lie in and 48 hours to use it, or failing that a large, make that_ very _large, cup of coffee.He wasn’t fussy he would take it black without sugar.Instead of either he allowed his friends to drag him back down to the Great Hall.Nev was no longer on the stairs as they made their way down the staircase, but the lack of rubble in the area proved how hard he had been working. The crowd had diminished slightly now, with some leaving to return home or to seek out loved ones who had been missing.

Ron placed an arm in the centre of Harry’s back and guided him over towards the tables, where he could see that the majority of people had gathered. At some point McGonagall must have prevailed upon the House Elves because platters of food had appeared, drawing the people away from the stretchers.Harry looked over and made to move towards the supine bodies of Remus and Tonks, but he was forcibly pushed to the tables.

“You can head over to see them later Harry, they aren’t going anywhere. Mum and rest of us are over here,” Ron insisted, Hermione gave a sniff and her eyes filled. Harry sighed, he knew they needed him, he was just _so_ tired.

“Do you think they have any coffee?” he asked a hopeful lilt to his voice.

“Not now Harry,” Hermione admonished. As she dragged him over to the group of red-heads standing at one end of the hall.

“Oh Harry,” Mrs Weasley scooped him up into her arms and hugged him tight. “You’re so thin, you poor thing. Come on dear,” she reached out, whipped a plate from the table and began to pile it with food. When it held a quantity of food that even Ron baulked at, she pressed it into his hands and reached for another for Hermione. “Go on dear, go sit and eat. No doubt you could do with the rest.” She shooed the pair over towards the benches that now lined the walls of the room.

Harry groaned as he sat, he had to admit that the smell of the food was enticing, though he doubted he could consume even a quarter of the quantity that Mrs Weasley had provided him with. Leaning against the wall, with his plate in his lap he closed his eyes.

“You’ll spill your food if you go to sleep there,” Hermione teased, knocking her shoulder into his.

“If you’d let me have coffee I might be more awake,” he whinged in return.

“It’ll stain your teeth,” she scolded.

“Don’t care! There’s a spell for that,” Harry groaned, opening one eye to glare at her for a second before shutting it again. “Where’d Ron get to?”

There was a moments silence before Hermione replied,” Oh I see him now. Looks like Mrs Weasley asked him to make sure Luna got some food. They’re making their way over now.

“Hiya Harry, did you talk to the dribble bugs?”

Harry snorted, “Yeah I reckon I did.”

“They’re very nosy. They like to listen in on all sorts of conversation you know.” Harry nodded his agreement, making the effort to sit up and open both of his eyes.

“Have you seen your Dad, Luna?” Harry picked at the food on his plate.

She nodded quietly, “I think he’s sorry for what he did Harry.”

Ron began to speak around his food, “He’s sorry! He ruddy…” Hermione covered his mouth with her hand.

“That’s ok Luna, we understand. It was a hard time for everyone and he had something very precious that he was trying to protect.”

“Really? He did? Was it the Dirgible plums?”

“No, despite how lovely they look as earrings it wasn’t the Dirgible plums.” Luna looked confused, so Harry reached out, being careful to not disturb the plate balanced on his knee and took her hand. “It was you Luna, and I would do far worse things to protect those that I love.” He released her hand and actually picked a bread roll and began to nibble at it.

“Oh,” Luna blinked slowly, then turned and sat on the bench next to Harry.

“Eww!” Hermione removed her hand from Ron’s face as he continued to chew the food his mouth still contained. She wiped her hand on his shirt. “That is disgusting Ron!” Harry snorted, somethings never changed, it appeared that Ron’s manners were one of these things.

Harry had only managed to consume a small portion of the food on his plate, before his stomach seized and he let out a groan, “Oooh, I don’t think I can eat anymore!” He rubbed his stomach. “It’s just like the start of year feast.”

Hermione nodded, somehow, she had managed to get a much smaller serving and had finished half. “After so long without much to eat our stomachs must have shrunk.”

Luna looked intrigued, in contrast Ron looked aghast, and asked, “Can that actually happen? Do you know if they shrivel up like a purse made from mokeskin?”

Hermione just blinked at Luna and turned to Harry.

Harry grinned, “You’re on your own with that, I still haven’t had a coffee.”

Suddenly, as if by magic, a hand holding a chipped red mug with a picture of a Lion on one side, appeared in front of Harry. Harry inhaled and then sighed. Before turning wide green eyes on the holder of the nectar of life.

“I will literally give you my soul if you will let me have a sip of that coffee,” he said.

Neville smiled, “Sure Harry, here you go.” He passed over the cup and sat down on the floor, leaning back on his arms. There was a cut above his eye that had left a trail of dried blood down his face.

“Is that where you’ve been, having Madame Pomfrey look you over?” Harry asked concernedly.

“Nah, I’m fine she’s still sorting out the seriously injured.”

“Neville, you’ve got a huge cut on your face!” Harry’s voice cracked. “There’s blood.”

Neville huffed amusedly, “Have you looked in a mirror Harry? When are you going to see Madame Pomfrey?” Harry gaped at Neville. “Exactly so shut up and drink my coffee.” 

Harry began to feel guilty, “Um, sorry, I really don’t need it, here you have it back.” He moved the cup towards the taller boy. Neville chuckled.

“You look like you’re just about asleep Harry, drink it. It might just get you through till you can rest.”

“Nice cup Nev,” Ron commented.

“Yeah it was Dad’s favourite, Nan found it.Apparently one of the house elves had wrapped it up and put it in the attic. I’ve been using it ever since.”

“Have you seen your Nan since it all finished? Is she alright?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, like I said before she is a tough old bird,” he waved towards the tables where the imposing figure of Madam Longbottom could be seen.

Neville reached out and snagged the half-eaten bread roll from Harry’s plate and began to chew. Harry took a large sip of the coffee, trying desperately not to slurp the hot liquid. He wasn’t sure why but, he didn’t want to embarrass himself right now. While Neville had been talking the world seemed to narrow down, so that it seemed as if only the two of them existed.

“Harry,” came a high-pitched call and he turned in time to be assaulted by a mass of red hair that smelled of violets, arms that were thrown around his neck violently enough to disrupt his plate and send it tumbling to the floor with a crash and a bony backside that forced its way onto his lap. Harry nearly lost a grip on the cup moving it sharply to the side where Neville reached up and swiftly snagged it out of his hand, preventing the contents being spilled or more importantly the cup being dropped and broken. Harry was rather unimpressed by the turn of events he really needed that coffee. Or sleep, sleep would be good too! A house elf vanished the broken plate and spilled food, Harry wondered if it was Kreacher.

Harry returned to leaning against the wall, resting his eyes and ignoring Ginny perched on his lap. Well, that is he tried to ignore her, but she started poking him with the tip of, what he found to be, a very bony index finger. He swatted at it half-heartily, eyes still closed.

She poked him again, but this time she added with a whine, “Harry.” Another poke, “Come on Harry.”Poke, “I’ve waited all year to talk to you, the least you can do is open your eyes, Harry.”

Harry huffed and opened his eyes. Nev was looking at him with a very odd expression that Harry didn’t like at all.

Poke.

Harry swatted the hand a little more firmly this time, “Ginny stop that please.”

“Ah, he is awake,” Ginny giggled and wrapped her arms tighter round his neck, snuggling into his lap and rubbing her cheek against his.

Neville suddenly stood up, “I’d best be off.”

“See ya,” Luna and Harry said.

“That was a rather sudden departure, wasn’t it?” Harry asked.

“Oh, he must have had something he wanted to do. Probably to check on his Nan,” Ginny said nonchalantly.

Suddenly Harry pouted, “He took the coffee with him!”

“Harry, it seems that is all you can think about today,” Hermione scolded.

“It’s not,” Harry pouted. “I’m also thinking about sleep, quite a lot actually. And Andromeda and Teddy.” He sighed, “Actually I had best do something about that someone needs to tell Andromeda and I need to some arrangements for Teddy. You’ll have to move,” he told Ginny.

“No! I just got here Harry. You can’t go running off now!” she made a grab for his hand.

“Sorry,” he apologised, though in truth he wasn’t sure what exactly he was apologising for, he shook his hand violently to free it. “Family comes first.”

“But I am your family,” Ginny stated.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, “You’re my little sister, you have your Mum and Dad and siblings to look after you. But my Godson, well he doesn’t.”

“He’s got Andromeda, you don’t need to be looking after them!” she stated with a glare, if Harry hadn’t seen Molly Weasley in a rage, he might have been intimidated by the look.

Harry looked like she had struck him with a physical blow, “Why wouldn’t I look after them?” he asked incredulously. "He’s _my_ Godson! 16 years ago, I was exactly where he is now. Looking after him is going to be my first priority for at least the next couple of years, if not the rest of my life Ginny.”

“What about our kids! They should be your highest priority,” her voice had raised until she was now shouting, drawing the attention of those still in the hall.

“Our kids? What do you mean Ginny?” Harry asked quietly.

“Just what I said, our kids, yours and mine,” Ginny said lowering her voice to match his.

“Well my kids, should I have them certainly will be. And make no mistake yours and Hermione’s and Ron’s will be important to me too, but they will have you guys.”

“Stop being deliberately obtuse Harry,” Ginny scolded her face was now flushed red.“You,” she poked him in the chest again.

“Said that you,” poke.

“Couldn’t be with me because it wasn’t safe. You,” poke.

“Said that we could try again after the war was over. Well,” poke.

“The war is over, and we are trying again and when we have kids. I expect that they and I will be your highest priority not the son of our ex-teacher.”

Poke, poke, poke.

Harry clenched his jaw, picked Ginny up off his lap, placed her on her feet and stood. “Ginny it’s true, at Dumbledore’s funeral I did say that I couldn’t be with you because of the risk to your safety, and I still believe that was the right thing to do. I honestly can’t remember ever having said that we would try again. There was my Birthday last year where _you_ kissed _me_, but no promises were made! However, if I led you to believe otherwise I am sincerely sorry, and I apologise for that, but currently there is no way I am going to start a relationship with you. I am too scarred, too tired and too…just too…”

It was so hard to try and put it into words. “I’m different Ginny,” he tried to explain as he calmed himself. “Things happened that I haven’t told anyone yet, and I’m not sure what they mean for me, but they have changed me, a lot.” Harry seemed to collapse in on himself.“I think I am going to need to spend time, finding out who I am without a Dark Lord trying to kill me every year, and I should do that alone. I hope that you can respect that and give me some space.”

Her brown eyes met his and after a moment she nodded, though by the tension in her jaw he could tell that she hadn’t really given in, she was just biting her tongue and biding her time. He turned away from them then and made his way over where the deceased lay. He grabbed a loose piece of brick and transfigured into a stool which he placed between Remus and Tonks. It was strange to see them both lying there, as if they were just asleep, and he half expected them to open their eyes at any moment. The arms that were closest to each other had fallen off the stretchers and their hands hovered in the space in between with Remus’ on top.

Harry leaned over and placed a hand on either side of theirs, closing the space between them. It surprised him how cold they felt. They shouldn’t be cold! He leaned his elbows on his knees and placed his forehead on the pile of hands.

“I’m so sorry! I should have done more. I should have found some way to keep you out of it, for Teddy’s sake, if nothing else!” With his head down, no one could see the tears that flooded his eyes. “I promise I’ll be there for Teddy. He won’t want for anything. I’ll do whatever I can for him. Well…” there was a hidden sled depreciating smile, “I’ll do as much as Andromeda lets me.”

“You can do as much as you would like Harry,” a cultured voice came from behind him.

Harry turned around but didn’t let go of the hands that he held. Andromeda Tonks stood behind him, a small babe swaddled and, in a sling, attached to her chest. Harry could just see the tufts of brown hair that covered the boys head. Andromeda conjured another stool and took a seat beside Harry.

“I…I….I’m sorry, so sorry,” Harry couldn’t hold back the tears. “I should…”

“Shush child,” Andromeda crooned. “Hush. Harry there is nothing that you could have done to prevent either of them fighting. My Nymphadora loved her job and there is no way she would have ever backed down from a fight. Badgers can be fiercely aggressive when pushed. If you doubt me just ask Charlie Weasley.” She reached out a hand and gently wiped away his tears. Harry froze uncertainly.

“Now with regards to Teddy,” she smiled at Harry, “I don’t think either one of us is in the right state to try and go it alone as it were, so how about we work together?” Harry nodded.

“Where would we live?” he asked hesitantly, not sure if that had been her intention.

“Well, there is always the house that Ted and I lived in though it may be a little crowded, and I confess there are a lot of memories there,” she mused.

“There’s Grimmauld, but it needs a lot of work,” Harry suggested half-heartedly. Andromeda looked at him sharply.

“Grimmauld accepted you?”

“Yeah,” Harry shrugged.

“And what about Kreacher?”

“Yeah him too, though I’ve had him working at Hogwarts.”

She smiled, “Well that is interesting.”

“What’s that?”

“Well it seems that Sirius may not have been disowned at all. If both the house and the house elf accepted him then he can’t have been cast out. If he had, neither he nor you as his heir would have been safe in that house and the elf certainly would not obey you. So, we can deduce that he was disowned by his Mother and Father but that the Head of the house, which would have been Arcturus Black, did not. Unlike me.”

“What do you mean by unsafe?” Harry asked.

“Just strange occurrences, feet catching on rugs that for everyone else are flat, doors shutting suddenly, even some rooms being inaccessible.”

“Is that why Tonks always tripped over the coat stand in the front hall every time she walked into the place.”

“Did she? Well I didn’t know that, but yes, I assume it would be. Though she was always very clumsy.” They both got caught up in memories for a moment before Andromeda returned to the subject at hand.“What that means though, is that a trip to Gringotts is in order, because there are other Black properties and if they were left to the family as a whole rather than to an individual then we may have other options.”

“Oh,” Harry grimaced and looked away.

“What is it?”

“Um, we kind of broke in to Gringotts to get something that we needed as part of eliminating…well…Voldemort. And we destroyed a large portion of it when we released one of the dragons and rode it out as it escaped.”

Andromeda blinked at him, “Well,” her tone was slightly disapproving, “That may take some sorting out and you may lose either your access to the bank or a large portion of your inheritance.”

Harry shrugged, it was a small price to pay for the death of a mad man. A yawn forced its way through and Andromeda smiled.

“It’s no surprise that you are tired, you’ve been very busy these last few months,”

“Yeah, dying sure takes it out of you,” Harry grimaced.

“You died!” Andromeda’s voice was sharp and echoed by a deeper voice from a few feet away.

“Right! Sorry to interrupt Madame Tonks but I think Harry needs to head to the infirmary!” Neville’s voice held that weird tone of authority again.

“Really, Nev I’m fine,” Harry tried to brush it off. “I just need some sleep.”

Andromeda shook her head and rose elegantly from her stool, “Clearly you need looking after! It’s decided you will be moving in with me. We will go to Grimmauld initially and I’ll take my chances with the house until something else can be sorted. Kreacher!” she called.

“Yes Miss…” Kreacher stopped and looked at her. “Not mistress.”

“No Kreacher I’m not, but your master needs you. He will be returning to Grimmauld place, it needs to be cleaned and prepared for him.”

Kreacher turned to look at Harry, “Master is coming home?”

“Yes Kreacher, it’s up to you what you do, I won’t force you to continue working for me, but know that I am proud of what you did during the battle and your Master Regulus would be proud of you too.”

Kreacher seemed to grow two inches in pride, “Master needs Grimmauld Place cleaned?”

“Yes Kreacher, would you mind preparing 3 bedrooms to start with, one for Andromeda with an ensuite, and the room for Teddy should have door that can open into either Andromeda’s or my room.”

Kreacher nodded before popping away.

“Andromeda is there any way I can reinstate you as a Black? I would like Teddy to be the Black Heir and I don’t want the house attacking you.”

Andromeda considered it for a moment, “It should be a fairly simple process when we return to the house, we’ll look at it then. There will be a ritual book in the library,” She looked down at her sleeping Grandson. “For the time being Teddy and I will return to my house and you,” she looked at him sternly, “will go and see Madame Pomfrey.”

“Really….”

“Now Harry!” Neville commanded. Then he changed his tone, “If it’s any help I had the Elves make this a never-ending cup of coffee.” Like the pied piper he led the-boy-who-lived out of the hall.


	4. Tales From the Infirmary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neville finally drags Harry to see Poppy Pomfrey. The boys begin to exchange stories.

Neville finally allowed Harry to have the coffee cup when they arrived in the hospital wing and he was seated on a bed, awaiting Madame Pomfrey, who was just finalising the transfer of patients to St Mungos.

“Oooh! So good,” the brunette sighed.

Harry leaned against the head board savouring the warm drink.

“So what have you been up to?” he asked.

Neville looked at him bemusedly and gave a lopsided smile. “Not a lot. And you?”

Harry shrugged, “Not much. Seriously Neville, we’ve been out of touch for so long. I watched the map and wondered if everyone was alright. Not being able to do anything….”

“Hey,” Neville slid onto the bed next to Harry, and threw an arm around his shoulder. “It wasn’t pleasant. But we looked out for each other.”

“You’d been living in the Room of Requirement, Nev!” Harry choked out. “The things they must have done to cause you to …. To our school, in my home!”

“Now Mr Potter, what have you been up to?” Madame Pomfrey bustled over all business.

“Not much, I’m just a bit tired!” Harry shrugged.

“Pain?”

“A bit,” she looked at him in surprise.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Neville interject as Madame Pomfrey raised her wand in preparation to scan Harry. “Apparently he actually died.”

Madame Pomfrey paused, then took a deep breath. “Mr Potter…..Harry,” her voice cracked. “You need to tell me what happened.”

“The whole story Harry,” Neville insisted.

Harry shrugged, “Riddle cast Avada Kedavra at me and it hit, so I died. I woke up in a place in between and was offered the chance to come back so I did.”

“Harry,” Neville frowned. “He hit you with an Avada? There is more to it than that, Poppy needs to know.”

Harry turned to him with pleading eyes., but Neville stayed firm.

“Anyone could hear!”

“Madame Pomfrey raised her and erected a clear barrier around them, “There, now no-body ese can hear.”

“Riddle, he created Horcruxes.” It was clear from their expressions that neither Neville nor Madame Pomfrey understood the term, so he attempted to explain. “There are some acts that are so horrible that they can be used as part of a ritual to severe off a piece of a person’s soul and bind it into a container. These objects containing the soul piece are called Horcruxes, while these pieces of their soul exist the person cannot be truly killed. They are essentially immortal. That is what we have been doing these last few months, hunting for and trying to find a way to destroy Riddle’s horcruxes.”

“What has that to do with him killing you Harry,” Neville asked fearfully.

Harry fiddled with the corner of the sheet and refused to lift his eyes from the bed as he continued speaking. “Riddle he….well, most people only make one, but Riddle had made four before he went to my parent’s house that Halloween. We think it made his soul unstable or perhaps he was going to use their deaths to create another, but that night he made a horcrux that he didn’t intend.”

“No!” Poppy gasped, a hand covering her mouth. Neville squeezed Harry tight. Harry reached over and placed the mug on the table beside the bed.

“How do you destroy are Horcrux Harry?” Neville asked unsteadily.

“You have to render it so damaged that it is irreparable. We found stabbing it with a Basilisk fang or a Goblin Blade coated in Basilisk venom worked well.” Neville looked like he was about to be sick.

“What did you do!” Madame Pomfrey demanded.

“Dumbledore had left instructions, I had to go and let him kill me, otherwise he would never have been able to be destroyed.” Harry’s hands twisted the fabric of the sheet tightly. “Really I’m ok.”

“Lie down. Don’t speak,” Madame Pomfrey bit out. Harry quickly wiggled down so that his head was appropriately placed on the pillow. “You off!” she waved her wand at Neville in a decidedly threatening manner as he slid off the bed and out of her way.

Her wand weaved complicated patterns in the air over Harry’s body, as she muttered spells under her breath. At some point Neville pulled up a chair and sat down to wait.

An hour of furious spell casting later she had finally finished, lowering her wand and wiping perspiration from her brow with her spare hand. “You stay there, don’t even think about moving!” She made her way to the cabinet holding her stock of potions and nearly stumbled over Molly Weasley who, along with what was left of her brood and Hermione, had entered the Hospital wing while she had been working.

“Poppy if you could just drop the wards around Harry, we’re here to see him.”

“I can’t do that Molly,” Poppy denied.

“But surely, you can hold off giving him his potions until after we have visited.”

Poppy drew herself up to her full height, “Molly Weasley, I said no! Harry is acutely unwell, and I must treat him immediately, no one else will be visiting with him until I am done.”

“What’s Neville doing in here the?” Ginny asked with a pout. “Surely I can be in there if Neville can.”

“Neville is here helping at my request, Miss Weasley.”

“But I could…..” Ginny began to argue.

“Can you lift the boy off the bed for me? Or hold him still when his whole body begins to spasm! No? And that is why it is Neville. Now I don’t have any more time to waste on you. Off you go.” She dismissed them, without another glance and re-entered the bubble.

“Right Mr Potter, open wide,” she held out a via.

Harry grimaced, “What does Mrs Weasley want?” he asked.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you are doing Harry,” Madame Pomfrey said. “They said they wanted to talk to you, but I have told them you are too unwell for the time being.”

“Argh,” Harry groaned, before hastily lifting his head and gulping down the potion in response to a very pointed glance from Madame Pomfrey.

“Don’t you want to talk to them Harry?” Neville asked.

Harry took the next vial from Madame Pomfrey and downed it quickly. “No, I said somethings earlier in the Great Hall and I don’t think they liked them very much, especially Ginny.”

“What did you say?” Neville asked a smile flickering at his lips.

Harry groaned and closed his eyes, “You remember how we went out in sixth year for a bit?” When Neville nodded he continued. “Well she was under the assumption that we would just start again now the war is over.” Neville now wore a frown. “But I don’t want that. I really need to sort out a few things before I start anything with anyone. I’ve changed so much this last 8 months, I don’t even know how to begin processing what happened in the forbidden forest let alone the rest of the time.”

Neville nodded for a moment before freezing, “The rest of the time?”

“We’ll come back to that,” Madame Pomfrey stated handing over the next vial, “He’s going to be here quite a bit longer.”

“No!” Harry protest, “I have to go back to Grimmauld place so I can help Andromeda with Teddy!”

“You need to be well first Harry, before you can help anyone with anything!” the mediwitch stated firmly.

“So, what are these for anyway?” Harry asked after swallowing the next potion, he thought his taste buds might be becoming numb, as that one didn’t taste quite as bad as the one before.

Madame Pomfrey began ticking them off on his chart, “Magically exhaustion, one to help with dehydration, you may not have noticed but you have several cracked bones,”

“Possibly from when he threw me in the air,” Harry was unsurprised.

“Hmpf, well, there were some older breaks as well, but your magic has mostly healed those. However, there is some evidence of malnutrition that has been ongoing for some time. I need you to be honest with me Harry. Dumbledore implied you are a fussy eater, but I never saw any evidence of it here. Do you feel ill after you eat?”

“What are you asking Madame Pomfrey,” Harry asked in a small voice.

“I’m worried that you have an eating disorder Harry,” she replied.

Harry laughed, Neville and Poppy looked on in confusion.

“It’s not something to laugh at young man. Not eating correctly can severely damage your magical core while it’s developing.”

Finally, Harry settled, “Madam Pomfrey, I’m not fussy, nor do I have an eating disorder. My relatives just didn’t think I was worth feeding, and the late Headmaster knew.”

“What!” Neville gasped.

“He knew, he sent me to a house where I wouldn’t be fed, and he knew. He knew how they treated me. He knew about the cupboard, the lack of food, the beltings and the derogatory comments. He. Knew!” Harry swiped at his eyes. “He knew that they never had one ounce of love for me.”

In a moment Neville had climbed back onto the bed and taken Harry into his arms, “You have escaped from them and you never have to go back! I won’t let them hurt you ever again,” he swore.

“And now that I know I can do something about it. I didn’t detect any damage to your core, so you have been very lucky, but I will do another scan when you have recovered from your magical exhaustion.” She handed him another vial. “Lastly, we have a dreamless sleep, you need to wait half an hour until you can have it so it doesn’t react adversely with the potions I have already given you. Neville, I want you to stay and keep an eye on him, make sure he takes that potion, he needs a solid eight hours sleep for everything I have given him to start working. I will leave the privacy ward in place.” Neville nodded in response and they watched her head back into her office.

Neville rolled on his side to face Harry. “I want you to tell me what you happened in your search for the horcruxes.”

“But Neville, I’m ok really,” Harry tried as he turned to face the taller boy.

“Harry I worried about you all year. Seamus has been worried about Dean…”

“We saw him!”

“What we saw him, not long ago. We were camping out in the forest of Dean and we got taken by the snatchers and taken to Malfoy manor. Luna and Dean were there, we escaped but I think…”

“Luna and Dean got sent back to school and moved straight into the Room of Requirement,” Neville reassured. “I know, that was the first proper news we had of you in months, apart from the eleged siting of you at Gringotts.”

Harry snorted, “We had a plan.”

“You were actually there?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “One of the horcruxes was in the Bank. So we came up with a plan with a goblin we had rescued when we escaped Malfoy Manor. We had it all under control.”

“Harry we heard that the bank was searching for the criminals who broke into their bank! They said that half the roof had been ripped off!”

Harry shrugged.

“What! I thought you said that you had it all under control.”

“Yeah well that was before the Dragon escaped.”

“The dragon escaped,” Neville paused as he rolled the thought around his mind for a moment. “The dragon didn’t actually escape did it? You set it free!”

“Well we had to get out of there somehow,” it really did sound ridiculous now that they were talking about it. “We kind of rode it out of there and released it into the wild. We should probably tell Charlie Weasley about it because the poor thing was probably a bit blind after having spent so long in the dark, and it wouldn’t do to have it flying around where it could be seen by the muggles.”

“Rode it out of there,” Neville muttered, and then reached out a hand to slap Harry gently on the shoulder. “Harry Potter you’ll be the death of me!”

Harry began to giggle a little hysterically, “Andy said that I’ll have to sort it out with the Goblins, they won’t be best pleased. I might lose all my inheritance, or they could ban me from the bank. Do you think they will throw me in prison Nev. I don’t want to go to Azkaban.” Harry’s breathing increased at a rapid rate.

“Shh, Harry,” Neville grabbed Harry’s hand and began to rub gentle circles on it. “Shhh, we’ll take care of it. Andromeda and I will come with you. Once we explain why you were there we’ll work something out.” He looked at Harry’s flushed face noting his shallow breaths and shaky limbs. “I think we’ve covered enough tonight.”

Neville slid from the bed and grabbed the top layers of linens. “Come on in you get.”

Between the two of them Harry ended up under the blankets and tucked in, in short order. Neville handed Harry the last vial, which he drank without fuss.

“Now, I know you aren’t ready to talk about a lot of things Harry. They’ll wait till you’re ready, but I’m here ready to listen whenever you’re ready. Okay?” Neville was holding Harry’s hand again, and the gentle circles were adding to his drowsiness.

“Nev,” Harry slurred. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

Neville ran his spare hand through Harry’s hair, “Me too Harry. Me too.”

Suddenly Madame Pomfrey was on him. “Up on the bed,” she tapped the one adjacent to Harry’s and gave him shark like grin. “Your turn!”


	5. More Tales from the Infirmary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neville sorts out his priorities. Ginny thinks about what she wants in life. And Harry shares more of his experiences.

Madame Pomfrey had Neville sorted out in short order. His cuts were mended, and his bruises tended. Then he was sent for a shower, given a vial of Dreamless sleep and ordered to use it. Apparently the Mediwitch thought that seeing one of your good friends apparently dead, then resurrected and to top it all off being set on fire by a Dark Wizard wasn’t conducive to a good night’s sleep. Neville snorted, tonight every one was so exhausted! Tonight there would be no problem sleeping. It was later, after their bodies had recovered a bit that they would have the energy to start processing what had happened to them, that the nightmares would begin.

He stared across at the bed where Harry lay sleeping, giving off the occasional snuffle. To be quite frank it was adorable.

Neville sighed and rolled onto his back. He wondered what his Grandmother would say. The pull was stronger now than it had been all year, but it would have to wait, he doubted Harry could even define one separate ache from all the pains in his body just yet. Broken bones from Voldemort throwing him in the air! And he had still gotten up again, protected them all and continued the fight to the end. 

Certainly, Augusta would have no doubts about the integrity of his mate, it was just that they were both male. That in itself wasn’t a problem. It was just the providing suitable Heirs bit. Though, he thought he had heard Harry tell Andromeda that he was going to name young Edward Tonks as the Black Heir, after reinstating Andromeda of course. That still left two Heirships to fill. Potter and Longbottom, each with an honourable and proud history. It left a hole that his Grandmother would insist be filled and soon now they were both of age! There were ways of course. Surrogacy and adoption being the two light options. He doubted that Harry would ever consider the ritual that would enable one of them to bare their own children, it being dark in nature, though maybe he could be convinced. The ritual that Lily had done, stopped death and therefore clearly wasn’t light, there must have been some sort of blood magic involved. Neville supposed it could have been a charm, apparently Lily had excelled at those, if it was there should still be some evidence in the house, assuming that the ministry hadn’t stripped it of its contents.

However, a discussion on children was a while off yet, let alone one on rituals of dubious legality. It was all about priorities. His Grandmother’s would be first and foremost, about the continuation of the line. Neville’s would be putting Harry first. It was more than passed time that someone made Harry their primary priority.

Harry, who having grown up in the muggle world had probably never even heard of Soulmates before! Was it ok in the Muggle world for two guys to be together? Would Harry accept it? Soulmates! It did sound kind of like the stories that the muggles ready their children. What were they? That’s right, Hannah who knew because of her muggleborn father, had told him, Fairy Tales. Neville snorted. Fairies could barely communicate let alone speak enough to tell a story. He wondered how that discrepancy had happened.

It would all wait though, his first priority was Harry’s wellbeing. So firstly they would need to sort out living arrangements. There was no way he was going back to those….those _muggles_! Suddenly it was easy to see how Riddle had got such traction in his cause.Yes first a place to live, well no actually! First treating Harry’s wounds, new and pre-existing though that was well in hand really, and then a place to live. Once that had been secured then Harry could rest for a bit. Taking the time to build up a relationship with Andromeda and young Edward, and hopefully with Neville too.

Then they could plan a future, hopefully together, though Neville was aware that Harry might need some time to come around to the idea of Soulmates and to adjust to everything that had happened to him. He’d died! For Merlins sake, he’d actually died. It was enough to bring tears to Neville’s eyes. After all Harry had done, he’d still made the ultimate sacrifice for the Wizarding world. With stomach clenching Neville wondered if Harry had even wanted to come back, with his Parents, Godfather, Remus and Tonks all on the other side it must have been so tempting to stay.

Neville took deep cleansing breaths and looked at the adjacent bed, noting the rise and fall of the chest. It was ok, no matter how hard the choice was Harry had come back. Now he just needed to be given a reason to stay.

So then after all that was achieved…… then they could start planning for children and the continuation of the line. That is if Harry agreed with it all. Neville rolled back onto his side, to stare at the dark-haired boy in the next bed. He watched the rise and fall of Harrys chest counting the breaths until he was lulled to asleep.

Harry was still sleeping when Neville woke, the privacy ward had dissolved sometime during the night and now his bed was surrounded by most of a family of red-heads, not forgetting the one brunette. Ginny was sat in a chair and was clutching Harry’s hand tightly. Coaxing him to wake up.

“Why isn’t he waking,” she howled suddenly.

The disturbance was enough to wake the midi-witch.

“What is going on out here?” she demanded as she emerged from her rooms, tying an overrode around her waist.

“Nothing Poppy dear,” Molly placated. “We were just waiting for Harry to wake up so that we can take him home.”

“But he won’t wake,” Ginny cried. “What’s wrong with him? Wake up Harry, please wake up.” She threw her upper body across his and wept.

“Nothing is wrong with him. I gave him dreamless sleep. With his low body weight and the dose I gave him he won’t wake for hours yet. And I suggest you act in a more seemly fashion young lady, hop off him, his ribs are fragile and I don’t want them broken…..again!”

Ginny humphed and returned to her chair, still clutching Harry’s hand.

“Well I guess we’ll just wait then,” Molly said as all of the Weasleys began to make themselves comfortable.

“You’ll have to leave,” Poppy told them flatly. “He won’t be going anywhere today or tomorrow and I can’t have you just hanging around here. I’m expecting, those who went to St Mungos and got triaged with minor injuries to start arriving,” she cast a spell and some shining numbers appeared in the air, “in the next half hour. You’ll excuse me I must get ready!” Poppy turned and left.

“Well I’m not going anywhere. I’m his girlfriend so I deserve to stay,” Ginny pouted, crossing her arms and legs.

Hermione just looked at her curiously, “Yesterday Harry said that he wasn’t going to go out with you. That he needed to sort himself out after everything that happened. You said you understood.”

Ginny snorted, “That’s just what I said yesterday.” Neville suppressed a growl. “He’s just being silly. We’re meant to be together anyone can see that just look at us.”

George laughed, “Yeah you look just like his parents. ‘Cause every guy wants to date his mother!”

“Why is that so funny?” Ginny snapped.

Molly shook her head and sighed, “Oh Ginny dear. I think Hermione is right. Something horrible happened to Harry in that forest, even without everything else that happened, he may be a completely different person now. I know you’ve dreamed that you’d be together again, and I encouraged you. Perhaps I shouldn’t have. Have you thought that you’ve changed this year as well?”

Ginny opened her mouth to rebut her mother’s statementand then closed it again with a snap.

“Honestly what were you expecting of a life together? Hmm,” Charlie prompted.

“Well we’ll get married and have kids and Harry will go to work as an Auror and we’ll……live…happily….ever…after,” she finished lamely.

“Oh Ginny,” Hermione said sadly. “I don’t think Harry is going to be an Auror. After all this I think he has done enough fighting.”

“But we said we’d….” Ron began to protest.

“Yeah, and Harry’s changed now. You didn’t see what he was like all those nights in the tent, the nightmares! Ron he wasn’t even bothered by the fact that we had no food. He always made sure I had the larger portion. ‘I’m used to it’ he’d say,” Hermione had tears in his eyes. “Hasn’t he done enough?”

“Yeah, he has,” Ron agreed solemnly and drew her into a hug. “I’m not sure that being an auror sounds all that great myself, now that I think about it.”

“Good,” Hermione responded, hugging him fiercely. “I couldn’t bare it if anything happened to you.”

Ginny watched them for a moment, “He said he wanted to spend some time with Teddy. So he wants children so we’ll have kids and…..”

“Ginny,” Charlie spoke. “You guys have told me how he was raised, right?” She nodded. “I know a couple of people on the reserve who had similar upbringings and all of them are there because they don’t want kids, and they don’t want to have families. They want to be alone, even years later they don’t trust people. They come to the reserve because they feel safer there than they do in a town. On top of that they feel like they would hurt or damage a child because all they have ever know as a child was pain and suffering. I’m sure as with all things that not all people who have gone through those experiences feel that way but now that he is old enough to get out of there, there is no guarantee that Harry won’t feel that way.”

“But Teddy,” she protested.

“But Teddy is already here, and will be living primarily living with Andromeda. So Harry’s role as Godparent willbe completely different to that of a parent. Besides weren’t you saying you wanted to play quidditch?”

Ginny nodded, “Now that war is over. It might be possible to have scouts come to the school games again.”

“If you get in, you’ll spend all your time in training or travelling to matches. When are you going to have time for Harry and children? It might be years till you retire.”

“Oh,” Ginny considered. “I really hadn’t thought of that. Do you…..do think he’d still talk to me if we don’t…you know?”

George wrapped an arm around his sister, “This is Harry of course he will. He’ll probably be the best big brother you’ve ever had. He’s about the only one who can come close to matching you at Quidditch, so I have no doubt he’ll help you train, the minuet you hear about a scout coming to Hogwarts.”

“Right,” said Charlie, abruptly changing the subject. “I have no wish to be on Madame Pomfrey’s bad side, so I suggest we all get out of here, before she comes back.”

Poppy stuck her head back around the door, “Have they gone yet?”

Neville sniggered, “It wasn’t all bad.”

“Hmmm, they need to sort out Ginervra! Why she didn’t have mind healing after her second year, I’ll never know. I recommended it.”

“Well they seem to have talked her out of pursuing Harry at any rate.”

Madame Pomfrey seemed surprised, “Really? Good, I was worried, she just seemed to focus on him too much. Every time she was in here this year she would talk about how Harry was going to come and rescue her and how it would all be better once he came back. I suppose you’ll be pleased then,” she said slyly.

“What….How do you know?”

“Oh please I’ve been in this job long enough to recognise the signs. Besides there’s a spell for that. Don’t you be listening to your Grandmother on the topic either. Just wait and be patient and….”

There was a groan from the next bed, and a thump as Harry rolled over. Madame Pomfrey check the time again.

“Hmm a little early but not bad for him.” She bustled off to get Harry his morning dose of potions.

Harry blinked a green eye against the light, and then peered around the room, squinting in an attempt to see.

“You know now that you are old enough, you might be able to get your eyes fixed,” Neville said as he rolled out of bed, picked Harry’s glasses up off the bedside table and smoothly slid them into place.

Harry blinked again, “Morning Nev. What’s that about my eyes?”

Neville was struck for a minute by just how green Harry’s eyes were and what they would look like if they weren’t obscured by glass, “Oh, um, there’s some treatments for eyes available these days that weren’t around 20 years ago. You can only have them once you are are of age, but it might be worth considering, if you want to be rid of the glasses.”

“That’d be a relief actually, the number of times they nearly slipped off during the battle! It could have all ended up very differently if I’d lost them.”

“How are you feeling this morning, Mr Potter?” Madame Pomfrey asked as she returned to his bedside.

Harry frowned, “I thought we got over all that formality yesterday. Can’t you call me Harry?”

“Well that depends, are you intending to return to Hogwarts next year?”

“Next year why would I?”

“You still have your Newts to sit Harry,” Neville reminded him. “I’m thinking about it myself, we didn’t exactly cover the normal curriculum this year.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about it,” Harry finally said.

“Well until you do I will assume that you are and hence we are back to Mr Potter.” She grinned as she handed him the first of the potions.

Harry sighed as he swallowed it without complaint. Ten minutes and six potions later they were done.

“Breakfast will be along shortly,” Madame Pomfrey said as she turned away.

“I thought you said you were expecting the overflow from St Mungos this morning?” Neville enquired.

Poppy grinned vindictively, “Yes well, it may have escaped your notice Mr Longbottom, but this is a school! While I am completely qualified to do my job I don’t have endless supplies or any assistance. Not to mention the school is currently in a complete state of disrepair with only this wing being preserved. There was no way the hospital was sending anyone here, that was merely a ruse.” With that she returned to her office.

“Who knew Madame Pomfrey was a Slytherin?” Neville asked Harry.

Harry laughed a little bitterly.

“Oi, what’s that about Harry?”

“Doyou think all Slytherins are so bad Nev?”

Neville looked at Harry, sitting down into the chair that Ginny had sat in earlier.

“Do I think that all Slytherins are bad? Harry I’m not Ron.”

“Well I know that!”

“Good. No I don’t. Harry, it was….it was bedlam here this last year. It was very difficult to know who we could trust and who would rat us out to the Carrows. We had some surprising assistance from the Slytherins at times, including their prefects when they were able. Equally surprising were the times that a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw set us up to be discovered. So no they aren’t all bad.”

Something in Harry seemed to relax, “I was almost in Slytherin,” he whispered.

“What?”

“The sorting hat. It wanted to place me in Slytherin, but I’d met Malfoy and didn’t want to go. I expect now that it was because of the Horcrux but still, there were times when I needed to be cunning just to……..” Harry swallowed and looked away, “At the Dursley’s.”

Neville reached out and squeezed Harry’s forearm, “You did what you needed to to survive Harry, and I for one am glad that you did.”

Harry thought for a moment, “No Gryffindors betrayed you then?”

“Not a one,” Neville stated proudly.

Harry looked thoughtful, “After third year did I ever tell you about my Godfather?”

Neville shook his head, “Not that I can recall.”

“My Godfather was Sirius Black.”

“Oh that’s right from the ministry!”

“Yeah, he came to rescue us.”

“I’m guessing he wasn’t actually the one to betray you and your parents then.”

“Nah, there were four of them. My Dad, Sirius, Remus Lupin….”

“Our Defence teacher from third year?”

“Yeah. And Peter Pettigrew. They were the best of friends. At some point the three others discovered that Remus was a werewolf and decided to become Animagi so that they could stay with him on the full moon. It seemed that nothing could seperate them. But Peter, got scared and I don’t know why but instead of turning to his friends he turned to Voldemort. He made them doubt each other, telling them each stories about how another had done something that was suspicious. Then when he had been made the secret keeper he told Voldemort pretty much straight away. He was a Gryffindor.”

“I guess that’s the thing Harry. It isn’t the house your sorted into that makes you a good or bad person it’s just who you are.”

“I wonder if it’s the way you’re raised to be,” Harry mused,

“Why do you think that?”

“Look at Malfoy,” Harry started. “No look at Voldemort.”

“Voldemort!” Neville was surprised.

“Yeah, he was raised in an orphanage in London. It was a poor orphanage and he was treated with fear, muggles not being equiped to deal with a magical child. So that by the time that Dumbledore appeared to tell him about Hogwarts he had developed the nasty habit of deliberately scaring the other children and taking their belongings. However who is to say that that wasn’t a reflection of life in the orphanage. During the muggles Second World War most of the children in London were evacuated or farmed out to the various places in the countryside, for some reason the orphanage where he was staying didn’t so in the summers after his first, second and possibly third years he returned to the orphanage a place that he was treated with fear and loathing and was in the midst of being bombed.”

“Ah Harry, what’s that mean?” Neville asked.

“They dropped bombs from aeroplanes,” Neville still looked confused. “Right, um, muggles have these machines that fly they are capable of travelling large distances through the air and can carry large loads or even people. During this time they were used to carry a device that when it hit the ground acted like twenty bombards maximas cast at the same time.”

“That’s horrific?”

“I’m sure it was,” Harry agreed. “So Voldemort was raised never knowing love or kindness, only fear and hate. How could he learn anything else unless someone took the time to show him. But they never did, they left him there and sent him back year after year.”

“Just like you Harry,” Neville said.

“Yeah, just like me.” Harry went to turn away from his friend, but Neville grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“Don’t Harry. I just meant that the Wizarding World doesn’t manage orphans particularly well, even sort of orphans,” he gave a half smile. “So what made you different than Harry?”

“I don’t know,” the smaller boy shrugged. “Maybe some part of me remembered Mum and Dad and their sacrifice. Maybe Mum’s protection meant I could feel that she had loved me. Certainly once I got told what happen I knew how much they had loved me. Possibly he had impaired emotional processing because he was born of a love potion.”

“He was what?”

“Born of a love potion, his mother potioned his Dad and tricked him into marrying her, but stopped once she was pregnant. He then left and she was left alone to carry the child and ended up in London alone, where she gave birth to Tom before dying.”

“Who knows what affect being conceived under a love potion could have on a child.” Harry nodded. “How do you know this?”

“Most if it was from memories Dumbledore showed me sixth year and some of it is what he assumed at the time. Some of it of course is Hermione’s and my deduction from our Muggle history classes.”

“So what’s your plan now?”

“Now?” Harry rubbed the centre of his chest while he mused. “Once Madame Pomfrey lets me go, I’ll have to go to Gringotts and talk to the Goblins. Hopefully that will mean that there is a house there somewhere that we can use to stay in.”

“We?” Neville couldn’t help the slight curious inflection that infected his voice.

“Yeah. Andromeda and Teddy and I. We could stay at Grimmauld place, the Black townhouse in London, but it needs lots of work. What about you?”

“Well I guess my Grandmother and I will return home and then I’ll come back and help with the restoration of Hogwarts I suppose.”

“I bet you put the Greenhouses back together better than they have ever been Nev. So you’re definitely coming back next year?”

“Yeah. Are you considering returning?”

“I don’t know Nev. This was my home for so long and now it has been tainted. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over dying in the woods. I just don’t know what to do or who I am. I’m still so tired. So I think I’ll rest first and get to know Andromeda and Teddy and then maybe study at home for my Newts or maybe……” he looked around the room. “I’ve always felt comfortable here, maybe I could do Newts part time and Madame Pomfrey could teach me how to be a mediwizard. Is that even how they get qualified in the Wizarding world?”

“They take an apprenticeship. So yeah, you could ask Madame Pomfrey.”

“Neville?”

“Yeah Harry.”

“Do you know why my chest stops aching when you touch me?”

It was unexpected, Harry had asked the question so innocuously, Neville worried that Harry wasn’t truly ready for the answer.

“Umm, Harry,” he began uncertainly. “What do you know about Soulmates?”


End file.
